21 April 2009
Temporary Layoffs at CP Still Affecting About 120 Employees in Revelstoke
Revelstoke British Columbia - There are about 120
CP Rail employees in the Revelstoke area who are still being impacted by the temporary layoffs, says CP spokesperson Breanne Feigel.
"This continues to be a direct correlation to the economic slowdown we are facing as part of the supply chain," she says.
In mid-December 2008, about 100 CP Rail employees in the Revelstoke area were temporarily laid off due to a decrease in
rail traffic in the region. In December, Feigel had said the layoff was anticipated to be short-term.
"Our volumes are down significantly, meaning less trains are needed to move commodities to and from the ports and therefore
impacting primarily our running trades employees (engineers and train conductors)."
She says the expectation remains that when customer demand returns, these employees will be recalled back to work.
"In February, there were some people recalled back to work, but then customer demand fluctuated again," she says, adding
that she is unable to give out any numbers because it fluctuates.
Historically, CP Rail has been the largest and most stable source of employment in Revelstoke.
But in this economy, there are not as much goods moving, so less trains are needed.
"This is an economic situation, so it's all about the volume of products that's moving either from the ports into stores... or
bulk commodities leaving the country going towards the ports," Feigel says. "We're dependant on what our customers are
buying and selling the marketplace, and that's been on a decline."
However, she says they have been keeping good communication with CP employees and speaking to them regularly. "We've been talking
to employees about the economic downturn and why it's affecting jobs specifically," Feigel says. "What we can do in the
meantime for our employees who are temporarily laid off is keep communicating to them and hire them back when customer demand
changes."
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